Captain's Corner: New moon, falling barometer mean great action

Great conditions: New moon phases can cause fish to feed aggressively. But add a falling barometer from an approaching weather system, and feeding can really light up. Such was the case when Andrew Miller, Andy Gotfried and Ryan Illingworth went out on this month's new moon that coincided with an advancing cold front. The combination allowed the trio to experience some great inshore action.

Stop No. 1: Speckled trout were the first to hit the deck. Drifting a local flat near the Skyway, the three tossed 1/16-ounce jigs dressed with electric-chicken soft plastic tails. That worked fine until the south winds started howling. The stiff winds from the looming front forced us to find a secluded retreat where less wind would allow a better presentation.

Stop No. 2: Selecting a row of residential docks on the lee side of an island, I slipped in quietly between two docks and anchored up so all three had plenty of elbow room. Miller, Gotfried and Illingworth used live shrimp. Their rig consisted of 20-pound fluorocarbon leader and a No. 1 red hook with a quarter-ounce split-shot weight pinched on the leader about a foot above the hook. Soon, sheepshead, black drum and redfish were coming out from under both docks. Miller topped the day by pulling in a 28-inch red.

Rick Frazier runs Lucky Dawg Charters out of St. Petersburg and can be reached at (727) 510-4376.

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